Clarification necessary as mayor-elect discusses canceling project

Although it has already been explicitly stated in two
letters from the federal government, Federal Transit Administration
(FTA) Chief Counsel Dorval Carter on Monday reiterated that if Cincinnati were to unravel the
$132.8 million streetcar project, the city would lose $40.9 million in federal grants and another $4 million in federal funds would be
transferred to the state government, which could appropriate the money
to any project in Ohio.

The clarification is necessary because Mayor-elect John
Cranley and a majority of the incoming City Council are looking into
pausing and potentially canceling the streetcar project once they take office in December. Cranley says he
will lobby the federal government to reallocate the federal funds, even
though the federal government has repeatedly insisted it’s not
going to happen.

Carter joined City Council’s Budget and Finance Committee on the phone on Monday to walk council members through the legal
technicalities involved in cancellation and how the federal government
would react to such circumstances.

According to Carter, merely delaying the project at this point would
break the city’s agreement with the federal government and
lead the federal government to restrict the federal funds,
ask the city to repay the money it already spent or terminate the
deal altogether.

Still, Carter said cancellation might not hurt the city’s chances, at least from a legal perspective, of obtaining federal funds for other projects.

“It will not preclude you from pursuing other projects,” he said. “You would just have to pursue those on their own merits.”

But Carter agreed with Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls that
the city’s credibility could be weakened if the streetcar project were
canceled.

President Barack Obama’s administration has prioritized light rail projects like the streetcar, according to Carter, so the reclaimed federal moneywould likely go to other cities pursuing similarly ambitious transit projects.

At a press conference following the council meeting, Cranley appeared unfazed by the news.

“If we have to, we’ll give the money back,” he said.

Although much noise was made about the council meeting, there wasn’t much news in the way of substance. The federal government already outlined the cancellation costs in separate letters sent to Mayor Mark Mallory in June and earlier in November.

Streetcar Project Executive John Deatrick yesterday revealed that the city might only keep $7.5-$24.5 million if it cancels the $132.8 million streetcar project,
after accounting for $32.8 million in sunk costs through November, a
potential range of $30.6-$47.6 million in close-out costs and $44.9
million in lost federal grant money. But Mayor-elect John Cranley flatly
denied the numbers because he claims the current city administration
“is clearly biased toward the project and intent on defying the will of
the voters.” Meanwhile, at least two of the potential swing votes —
incoming council members David Mann and Kevin Flynn — showed skepticism
toward the estimates, although Mann said, “If they do hold up, that’s
fairly persuasive.” Three elected council members already support the
streetcar project, so only two of the three potential swing votes would
need to vote in favor of it to keep it going.

Ohio’s unemployment rate rose to 7.5 percent in October, up from 6.9 percent a year before. The state added only 27,200 jobs, which wasn’t enough to make up for the 31,000 newly unemployed throughout the past year. The numbers
paint a grim picture for a state economy that was once perceived as one of the
strongest coming out of the Great Recession. In comparison, the U.S.
unemployment rate actually decreased to 7.3 percent from 7.9 percent
between October 2012 and October 2013. (This paragraph was updated with the nonfarm numbers.)

The Ohio Department of Taxation (ODT) will repay $30 million plus interest to businesses
that overpaid taxes throughout the past three years. The announcement
came after Ohio Inspector General Randall Meyer found ODT had illegally
withheld $294 million in overpayments over the years. Meyer’s findings
were made through what was initially a probe into alleged theft at ODT.

Outgoing Councilwoman Laure Quinlivan could request an automatic recount
because she came tenth out of the nine elected council members, right
after Councilwoman-elect Amy Murray, by only 859 votes. But Quinlivan
and Hamilton County Board of Elections Chairman Tim Burke agreed the
recount would be a long-shot. Still, Quinlivan noted that a flip in the
count could be a big deal because she supports the streetcar project and
Murray opposes it.

Only $7.5-$24.5 million left after fully shutting down project, paying back feds

Streetcar Project Executive John Deatrick on Thursday
revealed that the city might only keep $7.5-$24.5 million if it cancels
the $132.8 million streetcar project.

That means the city could potentially spend more than 94
percent of the project’s total costs before it manages to fully close
down the streetcar project, which is currently undergoing construction
and tied up to various federal grants and business contracts.

The presentation was given in advance of Mayor-elect John
Cranley and the newly elected City Council taking office in December.
Cranley is an ardent opponent of the streetcar project, and a majority
of the City Council says it wants to pause the project and consider
cancellation.

Cranley’s proposed alternative to the streetcar — a trolley bus system
— would cost $10-$15 million in capital funds, according to supporters of the rubber-tire trolley alternative.If streetcar cancellation costs were to reach the high end of the city’s estimate and the trolley bus is paid for, the city could end up spending $140.3 million to cancel the streetcar project and build a
considerably less ambitious trolley bus line — about $7.5 million more
than it would cost to simply complete the streetcar project.

If it’s completed, Cincinnati Budget Director Lea Eriksen says operating the streetcar would cost between $3.4-$4.5 million each year, which city officials say could come from various potential sources, including a special improvement district that would raise property taxes within three blocks of the streetcar route.

Following Deatrick’s presentation, Cranley held a press conference in which he flatly denied the current city administration’s estimates. He says he will tap new experts to run over the numbers while the project is put on pause.

“We’re going to bring in new, objective leadership, not the current leadership that is clearly biased toward the project and intent on defying the will of the voters, which was clearly expressed a couple weeks ago in this election,” Cranley says.

Deatrick’s cancellation projections account for $32.8 million in estimated sunk costs through November and a potential range of $30.6-$47.6 million in close-out costs, which include
construction to close the project — such as
repaving torn-up roads — and orders on vehicles and other
supplies that are already placed but not officially billed.

The federal government has also allocated $44.9 million in
federal grants to the streetcar project. In a letter released by the
city administration on Nov. 14, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
explicitly stated that $40.9 million would be taken back if the project
didn’t adequately progress; the remaining $4 million would be left
under the supervision of Gov. John Kasich, who could shift the money to
other parts of the state.

But Deatrick’s estimates don’t consider the unknown cost
of litigation, which would need to come out of a city operating budget that is already structurally imbalanced,
according to Meg Olberding, the city’s spokesperson.

The estimates also don’t consider that the city could
potentially forgo spending $7.4 million in contingency funds on the
project if it goes through completion and remains within budget, which
would lower the project’s effective cost to $125.4 million.

If the city cancels the project, Deatrick says it’s also
more likely that the city would lose in its legal battle against Duke
Energy, which could add up to $15 million in costs. That money is
tentatively allocated from the sale of the Blue Ash Airport as the city
and Duke argue in court as to who has to pay for moving utility lines to
accommodate for the streetcar tracks.

Those are the potential financial costs, but city
officials also warn that canceling the project could have a detrimental
impact on the city’s image.

“That’s what the city would be known for forever,” says
Councilwoman Laure Quinlivan. “To throw this away would be
unconscionable.”

City officials also warn that canceling would be pulling
back on a light rail project that President Barack Obama’s
administration has clearly prioritized.

“The city-federal relationship is excellent right now,” Deatrick says. “There would be immediate damage to that.”

The 200-plus workers currently involved the project would
also be displaced. Councilwoman Yvette Simpson points out pausing or
canceling the project in December would leave those workers jobless for
the holiday season.

Another concern is the impact of cancellation on the
relationship between the federal government and Southwest Ohio Regional
Transit Authority (SORTA), which operates the Metro bus system and will
operate the streetcar if it’s completed. If the city is unable to pay back
the grants to the federal government within 30 days, Deatrick says
the FTA could cut SORTA grants for bus service and potentially halt some
local bus services.

One concern raised by Councilman Chris Seelbach and
Councilman-elect Kevin Flynn, one of the three potential swing votes in
the incoming council of nine, is whether the project’s estimated return on
investment is still 2.7-to-1 over 35 years. That number is derived from a
2007 study conducted by consulting firm HDR, which was later evaluated
and affirmed by the University of Cincinnati.

Deatrick points out the numbers were re-evaluated by HDR
in 2011, and they still seem to hold true. He says there are still
plenty of vacant buildings along the 3.6-mile streetcar line that could use the encouraged investment, despite
some of the revitalization seen in the Over-the-Rhine and downtown areas
that the streetcar route would cover.

The 2.7-to-1 return on investment is also “a very, very
conservative estimate,” says Deatrick. He claims HDR could have relied
on numbers from other cities, such as Portland, Ore., that saw
considerably better returns on their streetcar systems.

Still, Flynn and Councilman-elect David Mann, another
potential swing vote, say they want to scrutinize the cancellation
estimates before making a final decision on the project.

Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls, a long-time streetcar supporter
who lost to Cranley in her mayoral bid, encourages a re-examination of
the numbers. But she cautions, “If what has been presented today stands up to scrutiny,
there’s absolutely no reason to cancel the project.”

Flynn won’t say whether he would reconsider his past
opposition to the project if the numbers hold up. But Mann says, “If
they do hold up, that’s fairly persuasive.”

Both Flynn and Mann also say that they would be willing to pause the project while clearer estimates are crunched.

But that could present a short time window. If the project
doesn’t adequately progress, the federal government could take back its
grant money. Based on city officials’ estimates, that provides a 30-day
window to re-calculate cancellation costs and the potential return on investment.

Pausing the project would also impose its own set of costs as some workers and equipment are retained.

Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld, who’s also seen as a swing
vote, could not be reached for comment. He’s currently in Washington,
D.C., to meet with White House officials for an issue unrelated to the
streetcar.

Three elected council members already support the streetcar project, so only two of the three potential swing votes would need to vote in favor of it to keep it going.

Updated with Mayor-elect John Cranley’s comments and clearer, corrected numbers.

Someone divided $1.5 million by 30

Most Cincinnatians don’t view TheCincinnati Enquirer as a beacon of journalistic innovation, but
today’s homepage headline pointing out that streetcar construction is
costing the city an average of $50,000 a day was a reminder of how
interested our Sole Surviving Daily is in drumming up negativity about the project.

Hundreds of streetcar supporters packed the Mercantile
Library last night outlining the several different ways they plan to campaign
to save the project — including various forms of litigation The Enquirer typically enjoys playing up
as potentially costly to taxpayers — a story similar in concept to the
anti-streetcar protests The Enquirer gave attention to leading up to the election.

The Enquirer’s cursory wrap-up of the
event was removed from the cincinnati.com homepage this morning, and it's currently not even listed on the site's News page even though it was published more recently than several stories that are. Left behind on the homepage is a real joke
of analysis: the fact that the $1.5 million monthly construction cost divided
by 30 days in a month amounts to $50,000 per day, assuming workers put in the
same amount of time every day in a month and the city gets billed that way,
which it doesn’t.

The $1.5 million figure has been known for weeks, but $50,000 per day
sounds dramatic enough that concerned taxpayers everywhere can repeat it to other ill-informed people at the water cooler. If these math whizzes wanted to really piss people off they would have broken it all the way down to $34.70 per minute, 24 hours a day. Man, fuck that streetcar!

At least the story’s third paragraph offered a piece of
recent news: Halting construction will still cost the city $500,000 per month because it will be on the hook for workers who
can’t be transferred and costs of rental equipment that will just sit there.
(For Enquirer-esque context: It will
still cost $16,667 per day or $11.57 a minute to temporarily halt the project.)

Also, the note in the headline (“Streetcar, which Cranley
plans to cancel, still costing $50K a day”) reminding everyone that Cranley
plans to cancel the project that is currently costing money seems unnecessary
considering THE ONLY THING ANYONE HAS HEARD ABOUT SINCE THE ELECTION IS THAT
CRANLEY PLANS TO STOP THE STREETCAR. It does nicely nudge readers toward the
interactive forum they can click on and publicly lament how
people who don’t pay taxes have too much control over our city.

(Additional professional advice: Consider changing the
subhed from, “It'll be costly to stop, and costly to go on, but work continues
until Cranley and new council officially stop it” to something that doesn’t
sound like you have no idea what the fuck is going on.)

For context, the following are the streetcar stories
currently presented on the website homepages of local media that have more
talent/integrity than The Enquirer:

CONSERVATIVE MEDIA BONUS: 700WLW even has a relevant piece of
streetcar news, although you have to scroll past a video of Russian kids
wrestling a bear and an article suggesting that Obamacare is the president’s
Katrina (whatever that means): Feds: Use money for streetcar or pay it back.

Supporters of the $133 million streetcar project packed Mercantile Library and Fountain Square
last night to start a two-week campaign to prevent Mayor-elect John
Cranley and the newly elected City Council from halting the ongoing
project. The goal is to convince at least five of the nine newly elected
council members to support the project. So far, streetcar supporters
have at least three pro-streetcar votes: Chris Seelbach, Yvette Simpson
and Wendell Young. Now, they’re trying to convince another three — Kevin
Flynn, David Mann and P.G. Sittenfeld — to support continuing the
project; all three spoke against the streetcar on the campaign trail,
but they’ve recently said they want a full accounting of the project’s
completion costs, cancellation costs and potential return of investment
before making a final decision. CityBeat covered the campaign and the people involved in greater detail here.

Hours before the event began, Mayor Mark Mallory released a letter from the Federal Transit Administration that explicitly stated
canceling the project would cost Cincinnati nearly $41 million in
federal funds and another $4 million would be left under the discretion
of Gov. John Kasich, who could shift the money to other parts of Ohio.
Cranley previously stated he could lobby the federal government to
re-appropriate the money to other city projects, but the letter makes it
quite clear that’s not in the plans right now. On the elevator ride up
to the Mercantile Library event, Sittenfeld commented on the letter to CityBeat, “I will say that today's news is a big gain in the pro-streetcar column.”

City Council yesterday accepted the resignation of City Manager Milton Dohoney,
just one day after Cranley announced Dohoney’s leave and his support
for it. Although council members acknowledged they had to accept the
resignation in lieu of the Nov. 5 election results, they said they were
unhappy with the behind-the-scenes approach that was taken by Cranley throughout the process. For the year following his resignation,
Dohoney will receive $255,000 in severance pay and health benefits
through the city, which will cost an already-strained operating budget
that’s been structurally imbalanced since 2001.

Northern Kentucky residents last night got a look at a regional strategy to fight the growing heroin problem in the area.
The report, put together by substance abuse and medical experts, law
enforcement officials, governmental leaders and business
representatives, calls for more physicians and long-term treatment
options to address the issue. “We cannot arrest or incarcerate our way
out of the problem,” said Dr. Lynne Saddler, director of the Northern Kentucky
Independent District Health Department. “The success of this
plan really hinges on having sufficient treatment options and resources
available so that everyone seeking and wanting treatment can easily
access it.”

Union Township Rep. John Becker introduced a bill
in the Ohio House this week that would ban most public and private
health insurers from providing abortion coverage. The bill has yet to be
assigned to a committee. Becker describes himself as one of the most
conservative members of the Ohio legislature. He’s also supported the
Heartbeat Bill, which would ban abortion once a heartbeat is detected; called needle-exchange efforts part of the “liberal media
agenda”; and lobbied for the impeachment of a judge who allowed the
state to recognize the same-sex marriage of Jim Obergefell and John Arthur, who recently passed away from Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted urged the Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission
to address politicized redistricting. Under the current system, the
political party in charge — the last time around, Republicans — can use
demographic trends to redraw congressional district boundaries to
maximize the votes of supporters and split and dilute the votes of
opponents. Although Husted is now calling for reform to make
redistricting more representative of the state’s actual political make-up, he opposed a ballot initiative in 2012 that would have placed
an independent committee in charge of redistricting.

Tomorrow is also the day of the One Stop Drop recycling event,
where anyone can drop off electronic and other waste — TVs, computers,
cellphones and chargers, No. 5 plastics such as butter tubs and yogurt
containers, single-use grocery bags and used writing instruments like
pencils and pens — from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Whole Foods Market in
Rookwood Commons, 2693 Edmondson Road.

Supporters hold town hall-style meeting in effort to stop cancellation of project

Supporters of the $133 million streetcar project on Thursday night packed Mercantile Library and Fountain Square to start a two-week campaign that seeks to prevent the incoming mayor and City Council from canceling the ongoing project.

Turnout was particularly strong as supporters reached the 200-person capacity at Mercantile Library before the event started. Another 200 watched the event from the Jumbotron screen at Fountain Square, according to the event's organizers.

In attendance were several Over-the-Rhine business owners and residents; council members P.G. Sittenfeld, Chris Seelbach and Wendell Young; and several supporters of the project from around the city.

The goal of the event was to organize supporters and begin a lobbying campaign to convince the three perceived swing votes in the incoming council — Sittenfeld, David Mann and Kevin Flynn — to support continuing the project. All three have spoken against the streetcar in the past, but they told CityBeat they want to fully account for the project's cancellation costs, completion costs and potential return on investment before making a final decision.

Speakers urged supporters to contact the nine newly elected council members and raise awareness about the streetcar's benefits before Mayor-elect John Cranley, who opposes the streetcar project, and the new City Council take office in December.

Ryan Messer, a lead organizer of the effort to save the streetcar, spoke about the advantages of the streetcar project for much of the event. "This is a good economic tool that helps all of Cincinnati," he repeatedly stated.

Supporters have some empirical evidence to base their claims on. A 2007 study from consulting firm HDR found the streetcar project would generate a 2.7-to-1 return on investment over 35 years. The HDR study was later evaluated and supported by the University of Cincinnati.

Project executive John Deatrick acknowledges the 2007 study is now outdated and the city is working on updating the numbers. But he says the streetcar project is supposed to be viewed as an economic development vehicle, not just another transit option.

Supporters also warned of the potential costs of canceling the streetcar project. Hours before the gathering, Mayor Mark Mallory released a letter from the Federal Transit Administration that explicitly stated the city would lose nearly $41 million in federal grant dollars if the project were canceled, and another $4 million would be placed in the hands of Gov. John Kasich to do as he sees fit.

City spokesperson Meg Olberding previously told CityBeat that the city already spent about $2 million of the federal funds. If the project were canceled, she says the money would have to be repaid through the operating budget that funds police, firefighters and human services instead of the capital budget currently financing the streetcar project.

The operating budget has been structurally imbalanced since 2001, so adding millions in costs to it could force the city to cut services or raise taxes.

The FTA letter might already be playing an influence for at least one of the swing votes on City Council. On the elevator ride up to Mercantile Library, Sittenfeld told Seelbach and CityBeat, "I will say that today's news is a big gain in the pro-streetcar column."

Another threat for the city is potential litigation from contractors, subcontractors, taxpayers and Over-the-Rhine residents and businesses who invested in the project or along the streetcar line with the expectation that the project would be completed.

Litigation costs would also come out of the operating budget, according to Olberding.

"As a trial lawyer, this is actually appealing," said Democratic attorney Don Mooney. "For the city, not so much."

Supporters also outlined the potential damage that pulling from the project could do to the city's image, given that developers, businesses and the federal government have put their support and dollars toward the streetcar.

"Is Cincinnati that city that will dine you and wine you and leave you alone at the altar?" Young asked.

But if the lobbying effort, cancellation costs and threat of litigation aren't enough, supporters also presented one more option to save the streetcar: a ballot initiative. Mayor-elect John Cranley on Thursday told The Cincinnati Enquirer that he would be open to allowing some sort of streetcar referendum on the ballot.

The ultimate goal for supporters of the streetcar, beyond ensuring sustainable growth in the urban core, is to connect all of Cincinnati through a vast transit network, much like the streetcar lines that ran through Cincinnati before the city government dismantled the old system in the 1950s.

That provides little assurance to opponents of the streetcar project. Cranley and at least three hard-liners in the incoming City Council — Amy Murray, Charlie Winburn and Christopher Smitherman — claim the project is too expensive and the wrong priority for Cincinnati. Discussing more phases makes the project appear even costlier to opponents who are already concerned with costs.

In its comprehensive plan for 2040, the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments put the cost of various extensions — to the University of Cincinnati and surrounding hospitals, the Cincinnati Zoo, the Cincinnati Museum Center and the Broadway Commons area near the Horseshoe Casino — at more than $191 million, or $58 million more than the estimated cost for the current phase.

But if Cincinnati never completes the first phase of the streetcar project, supporters say it could be decades before other light rail options are considered.

Federal Transit Administration letter confirms previous warnings

Cincinnati could lose up to $45 million in federal funds
if it cancels the $133 million streetcar project, according to a new
letter from the Federal Transit Administration released on Thursday by
Mayor Mark Mallory.

The letter confirms much of what was stated in a previous
June 19 letter to Mallory, and it presumably acts as a warning to
Mayor-elect John Cranley, who intends to permanently cancel ongoing
construction on the streetcar project once he takes office in December.

Cranley previously said he could lobby the federal government to re-appropriate the money to other projects, but the FTA letter unequivocally states the money is only for the streetcar project.

“FTA’s oversight contractor for the Project informs me
that the City’s expenditures plus committed costs on the Project as of
this date exceed $116 million, which is approximately 88 percent of the
total project cost,” wrote FTA administrator Peter Rogoff. “These commitments include many
construction activities that cannot be easily reversed — the City has
relocated utilities, embedded rail in City streets, and purchased
streetcars. Should the City choose to prematurely terminate the Project,
all cost associated with closing down the project, including any claims
from the contractors, will not be eligible for any federal
reimbursement.”

The letter confirms that, as CityBeatoriginally reported, canceling the streetcar project carries its own costs.

Should the city cancel the project, it would first need to
return nearly $41 million in federal grant money. The remaining
$4 million in federal funds would fall under the discretion of Gov. John
Kasich, who could shift the money to other parts of Ohio.

City spokesperson Meg Olberding previously told CityBeat
the city already spent $2 million of the federal funds. Olberding said the $2 million in repayments would need to come out of the operating budget
that pays for cops, firefighters and human services instead of the
capital budget that’s currently financing the streetcar project.

Since
the operating budget has been structurally imbalanced since 2001, adding
millions in costs could force the city to cut additional services or
raise taxes.

Upon cancellation, the city would also need to pay back
some of the $94 million in standing contractual obligations for the
streetcar project. In many cases, the obligations reflect supply orders
and other expenses contractors and subcontractors already took on but
haven’t officially billed to the city. If the project were canceled, city
officials say the already-spent money would need to be paid back, along
with extra costs to close the project — to repave torn-up streets, for
example.

Project executive John Deatrick previously told CityBeat
that paying back the contractual obligations could involve litigation,
which would also be paid for through the operating budget, as the city
tries to minimize cancellation costs and private contractors try to
recoup as much as they can from the project.

All of that is on top of the $23 million that’s already
been billed to the project as of September, which should grow by $1.5 million each month as contractual obligations are turned into official
bills, according to Deatrick.

The final decision on the streetcar project rests on City Council. Cranley told The Cincinnati Enquirer
on Thursday that he’ll pursue a 30-to-90-day time-out on the project as
the city conducts a full accounting of cancellation costs, completion
costs and the potential return on investment of the project, following
requests from Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld and incoming council members
David Mann and Kevin Flynn — three crucial swing votes in the newly
elected council of nine — for more information before placing a final vote on the project.

The talk of cancellation already spurred some Over-the-Rhine residents and businesses to launch a campaign to save the streetcar.
Cranley insists it’s too expensive and the wrong priority for the city,
but supporters tout independent studies and their own experiences to
argue it would spur economic development. The pro-streetcar group will
meet on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Mercantile Library, 414 Walnut St.
#1100, downtown Cincinnati.

Streetcar supporters to meet today, Dohoney to resign, city continues with retail plans

Supporters of the streetcar project are rallying in a last-stand effort to save the streetcar
from an incoming city government that’s threatening to cancel the
project. Supporters plan to meet today in a town hall-style meeting at 7
p.m. at the Mercantile Library, 414 Walnut St. #1100, downtown
Cincinnati. Some of the supporters of the movement are residents,
business owners and realtors in Over-the-Rhine who told CityBeat
that canceling the project will set the city’s economic momentum back.
Mayor-elect John Cranley disagrees, but the decision is ultimately up to
the newly elected City Council to cancel the project, and at least
three of nine newly elected council members previously seen as streetcar opponents —
P.G. Sittenfeld, David Mann and Kevin Flynn — told CityBeat
they’d like to evaluate the costs of canceling the project and the
potential return of investment versus the cost of completing
construction.

City Manager Milton Dohoney will resign on Dec. 1
and receive one year of severance pay, Cranley announced yesterday. To
political watchers, the news comes as very little surprise. Cranley and
Dohoney disagreed on two key issues — the streetcar project and parking plan,
both of which Cranley opposes and Dohoney supported and helped get off
the ground. Once the new mayor and City Council take over in December,
Cranley says he will appoint a yet-to-be-named interim city manager and
begin looking for a permanent replacement.

Despite Saks Fifth Avenue’s departure, the city intends to move forward
with its plans to build a retail corridor downtown, and others have
approached the city about taking Saks’ space, according to Kathleen
Norris, managing principal of Urban Fast Forward and the city’s retail
leasing consultant. Saks announced yesterday that it’s closing down its
downtown store and moving to Kenwood Collection. Although the move is a
blow to the city, a few city officials were quick to point to other
growth in downtown Cincinnati as an example of what will attract new
retail outlets in the future.

A deal is nearly set
to fund the $107 million interchange project at Interstate 71 and
Martin Luther King Drive. As part of the deal, the Ohio Department of
Transportation will pay for $52 million, and Cincinnati and the
Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI) will take a
loan from the state infrastructure bank to pay for their share. OKI says
it will pay for its portion of the loan through $25 million in federal
funding, but it’s so far unclear how the city will pay for its share of
the project. The outgoing city administration intended to pay for the project through the
now-canceled parking plan, which would outsource the city’s parking
meters, lots and garages.

Cranley says the city can get out of the parking plan
without defaulting on the lease agreement with the Greater Cincinnati
Port Authority, but Cranley’s position is at odds with the stated
opinion of officials in the outgoing city administration and Port
Authority. Cranley announced on Tuesday that the parking plan will be called off
once he and the new council take office in December, but it’s unclear
how much it will cost to break out of the plan and its various
contractual obligations.

The Ohio House held a hearing
yesterday for two bills that would increase safeguards for victims of
domestic violence, including new housing and employment protections. CityBeatpreviously covered the story of Andrea Metil, a domestic violence victim who is calling for greater protections.

Only 1,150 Ohioans signed up for Obamacare through the troubled HealthCare.gov
portal, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced
yesterday. Both the Ohio-wide measure and nationwide number — 106,185 — fell far
short of the federal government’s expectations for the first month of
enrollment. But many of the troubles are caused by technical problems
that have made HealthCare.gov largely unworkable for most Americans. The
federal government is working to correct the errors by December, but The Washington Post reports that the website likely won’t be fully functional by then.

The Ohio House yesterday approved a bill that reforms municipal taxes,
which businesses support but cities oppose. Supporters argue it will
simplify the tax code so businesses can more easily work around the
state and from county to county, but opponents claim it will reduce how
much revenue cities receive.

Mayor-elect John Cranley and the newly elected City Council announced on Tuesday that, upon taking office in December, they will terminate the city’s plan to lease its parking meters, lots and garages to the Greater Cincinnati Port Authority,
following an agreement with the Port Authority to hold off on a bond
sale that would have financed — and effectively sealed — the deal. But
it remains unclear how much it will cost to terminate the plan, default
on the lease agreement with the Port Authority and allow the Port to
break its contracts with private companies that would have operated the
assets under the deal. The current city administration argues the
parking plan is necessary to help balance the budget over the next two
years, pay for economic development projects around the city and
modernize the city’s parking assets so, for example, parking meters can
accept credit card payments. Opponents argue the plan gives up too much
control over the city’s parking assets by outsourcing their operations
to private companies based around the country.

Cranley now says he will not allow a referendum on any ordinance undoing the streetcar project
and will instead try to work with supporters of the project to find
another way to put it on the ballot if they can gather enough petition
signatures. Cranley says blocking a referendum is necessary to avoid
spending money during a referendum campaign that could last months. But
for supporters of the streetcar, Cranley’s decision seems highly
hypocritical following his repeated praise for the “people’s sacred
right of referendum” on the campaign trail after City Council blocked a
referendum on the parking plan. If the project is placed on the ballot,
it will essentially be the third time it’s brought to a public vote;
opponents of the project in 2009 and 2011 pursued two ballot initiatives
that many saw as referendums on the streetcar.

Meanwhile, Over-the-Rhine businesses and residents yesterday officially launched a campaign to save the streetcar project
from Cranley and a newly elected City Council that appears poised to
cancel the project. Touting the project’s potential return on investment
and cancellation costs,
the group plans to lobby newly elected officials to vote in favor of
keeping the project going. The group invited Cranley and all elected
council members to join them at a town hall-style meeting on Nov. 14 at
the Mercantile Library, where supporters will discuss their path
forward. So far, supporters have publicly discussed a concerted lobbying
effort, a ballot initiative if council passes an ordinance undoing the
streetcar project and possible legal action against the city.

The Cincinnati Enquirer’s editorial board is apparently unpleasantly surprised
that Cranley undid the parking plan, even though the board endorsed
Cranley for mayor after he ran in opposition to the parking plan for
nearly a year.

Meanwhile, the Ohio legislature is working on changes to Medicaid
that would cap future cost increases and employ professional staff for a
Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee that would have the ability to
review Medicaid programs and agencies. The bill also includes a portion
that clarifies its passage “shall not be construed with endorsing,
validating or otherwise approving the (Medicaid) expansion.”

Despite attempts from city officials and local business leaders, Saks Fifth Avenue is leaving downtown to open a store at Kenwood Collection.

Residents, business owners rally to lobby new mayor and council

Dozens of residents and business owners gathered in
Over-the-Rhine on Tuesday to launch a campaign that seeks to persuade
Mayor-elect John Cranley and the newly elected City Council to support
the $133 million streetcar project.

Attendees included Ryan Messer, who used his life savings
to renovate his home in Over-the-Rhine; Derek Bauman, co-chair of
Cincinnatians for Progress; Jean-Francois Flechet, owner of the Taste of
Belgium; and Derek dos Anjos, owner of The Anchor.

“We’re here today to keep the conversation going outside
of political rhetoric and partisan politics,” Messer said. “Simply put,
the streetcar is a component of Cincinnati economic development, and
it’s a project that grows the whole city — not just an urban core,
which, by the way, is an important part of developing this region.”

The group intends to lobby Cranley and the newly elected
council, which appear poised to cancel the project when they take office
in December.

At least three of nine elected council members — P.G.
Sittenfeld, David Mann and Kevin Flynn — have told media outlets that
they want a full accounting of the project before making a final
decision. Another three — Chris Seelbach, Yvette Simpson and Wendell
Young — are on the record as supporting the project. The final three —
Christopher Smitherman, Charlie Winburn and Amy Murray — adamantly
opposed the project in the past.

Members of the pro-streetcar group invited Cranley and all
elected council members to join them at a town hall-style meeting on
Nov. 14 at the Mercantile Library, where supporters will discuss their
path forward. So far, supporters have publicly discussed a concerted
lobbying effort, a referendum if council passes an ordinance undoing the
streetcar project and possible legal action.

As CityBeat first uncovered, the costs of canceling the project are currently unknown,
and some of the costs could actually fall on the operating budget that
pays for police, firefighters and human services instead of the capital
budget that is currently financing the streetcar project.

Much of the uncertainty falls on ongoing construction for
the streetcar, which has continued despite the newly elected city
government’s intent to stop the project. As of September, the city spent
$23 million on the project and contractually obligated $94 million,
some of which city officials say will need to be paid back even if the
project were canceled.

The U.S. Department of Transportation also told city
officials in a June 19 letter that nearly $41 million of nearly $45
million in federal grants would need to be returned if the project were
terminated.

Supporters also claim Cincinnati would be giving up a
2.7-to-1 return on investment over 35 years if the city abandoned the
streetcar now. That estimate is derived from a 2007 study conducted by
consulting firm HDR, which was evaluated and supported by the University
of Cincinnati.

Project executive John Deatrick says the HDR study is now
outdated and the city is working on updating the numbers. Still,
Deatrick says the project is intended to spur economic development, not
just provide another form of public transportation.

The Nov. 13 issue of CityBeat will give a more in-depth look at the campaign to save the streetcar and some of the people involved in the movement.